The crowd at Jinnah Stadium, Islamabad was out in numbers again as the Shaheens made their home debut in Round 2 of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Unfortunately, the Pakistan football team was beaten comprehensively by a ruthless Tajikistan side. The match finished 6-1 in favour of the away side. This was the heaviest defeat that Stephen Constantine’s team has suffered under his managerial tenure so far.
Pakistan 1-6 Tajikistan – as it happened
Backed by the overwhelming support of the home crowd, the Pakistan football team made a decent start to the game. Early on they were passing the ball well and creating a few goal-scoring opportunities for themselves. But that feel-good factor did not last for long, as Tajikistan started to pile pressure on Pakistan’s defence.
In the 9th minute of the match, Tajikistan’s Umarbayev side-footed the ball from outside the box. The ball went on to hit the goalpost and fell in the path of Kamolov who finished comfortably to give the visitors a one-goal lead. A few minutes later, Rustam Soirov doubled the advantage for his side. His long-range effort just bounced in front of Yousuf Butt and changed its direction. This wrong-footed the goalkeeper and prevented him from saving the shot.
These two goals in quick succession were a great setback for the home side as their morale was starting to drop. But the Jinnah Stadium crowd kept on cheering the Shaheens which eventually led to a breakthrough for the men in green.
In the 20th minute of the game, Alamgir Ghazi played a short pass towards his midfield partner, Rahis Nabi. The 24-year-old controlled the ball with his right foot and lashed his left foot at it finishing the ball in the top right corner of Tajikistan’s goal. The whole stadium erupted with joy as soon as the ball hit the back of the net.
Just as Pakistan was starting to get back in the game, the visitors restored their two-goal cushion through Umarbayev. The 29-year-old was found by Dzhalilov at the edge of Pakistan’s penalty area, and he made no mistake by curling his shot into the top corner. As the half progressed Tajikistan looked very potent while attacking whereas Pakistan was unable to register a meaningful effort on goal.
Towards the end of the first half, Tajikistan put the game to bed by scoring their fourth goal of the afternoon. Dzhalilov played a brilliantly weighted through ball for Panjshanbe. Yousuf Butt ran off his line in a bid to unsettle the midfielder, but the 24-year-old held his nerve and finished calmly into the far corner. The away side went into the halftime interval with a 4-1 lead.
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The home fans were fearing the worst as the two teams entered the field to begin the second half. Tajikistan continued their dominance from the first half into the second half by frequently attacking Pakistan’s goal. Stephen Constantine’s team did well to keep the score at 1-4. Shaheens’ goalkeeper, Yousuf Butt made a few very good saves to deny the visitors from extending their lead further.
After consistent pressure, Tajikistan was finally able to breach Pakistan’s defense when Kamolov’s 65th-minute strike hit the back of the Shaheens’ goal. In the injury time the substitute, Samiev, found himself on the scoresheet also to give his side a five-goal lead. He appeared to be in an offside position when he struck the goal, but the linesman did not raise his flag and the goal was awarded to the away side.
Why did Stephen Constantine’s team lose by such a huge margin?
After their heroics in the previous home game against Cambodia, the home fans had high hopes from the Shaheens. They were hoping that their side would emulate their performance against Cambodia and get the better of Tajikistan. No fan wants to see his or her team lose but realistically the difference in quality between Tajikistan and Pakistan is quite apparent.
There is a huge gap between these two nations in the FIFA Rankings and that gap was rightfully depicted by the scoreline. The men in green are ranked 193rd in the FIFA Rankings while their opposition is ranked 109th. Tajikistan will also be taking part in their maiden AFC Asian Cup next year, a competition that Shaheens has never qualified for before.
Furthermore, Tajikistan has a stable league of its own. Their players are able to play week in and week out. Three members of their squad also play European football, which speaks volumes about their skill level. Having a competitive domestic league is vital for any nation that wants to excel at the international level. Unfortunately, local Pakistan players do not have the luxury of playing regular football. This is one of the major reasons behind the poor performance of Stephen Constantine’s team.
Moreover, the men in green were missing three crucial players for this match. Easah Suliman was unavailable as he sustained an injury while playing for his club Sumqayit in the Azerbaijan Premier League. His presence in the defense was dearly missed by Pakistan fans.
Right back Rao Umar Hayat and midfielder Shayak Dost also missed the game due to suspension after picking up two yellow cards in their previous FIFA World Cup Qualifiers games. Mohibullah replaced Umar Hayat at right back and he did well, but the absence of Shayak Dost hurt Stephen Constantine’s team badly. The 21-year-old is not only excellent going forward in attack, but he also provides defensive solidity at the back as well.
